The Great Wall, symbolizing China’s ancient civilization, is one of the world’s most renowned projects. A well-know popular saying goes: “He who hadn’t been to the Great Wall is not a true man”/ “You are not a pluck hero till you climb the Great Wall.” Therefore, everyone tried to make it.
Construction of the Wall first began during the period of the Warring States (476 BC-21 BC). Formerly, walls were built at strategic points by different kingdoms to protect their northern territories. In 221 BC after the first Emperor of the Qin Dynasty unified China, he decided to have the walls linked up and extended.
Historical records show that about one million people, one-fifth of China’s population at the time, were involved in the project, which took more than ten years. When it was finished we call it “Wan Li Chang Cheng” which means “Ten Thousand Li (5,000 kilometers) Long Wall” .Now, nature has taken over most of the Great Wall.
The Great Wall, which we are going to visit, was rebuilt during the Ming Dynasty in the 16th century. It extends from Shanhai (mountain and sea) Pass, a seaport along the coast of Bohai Bay, to Jiayu Pass in Gansu Province. Its total length is more than 6,700 kilometers.
Juyong Pass, built in 1386, and together with Zijing Pass and Daoma Pass were called the "Inner Three Passes" along the Great wall. The Great Wall at Juyong Pass near Beijing is 8.5 meters high, 6.5 meters wide at the bottom and 5.7 meters wide at the top and its parapet is some 1 meter high.
Juyong Pass, also known as Jundu Pass or Jimen Pass, is an important strategic gateway leading to Inner Mongolia. The slopes on both sides of this narrow pass are carpeted by a dense growth of foliage. It used to be one of the eight famous scenic spots in Beijing. After five years of renovation, the famous Juyongguan section of the Great Wall opened to tourists in late March 1998. The 20-kilometre-long ravine, named Guangou(Pass Ravine), flanked by mountains, was the northern entrance to Beijing in ancient times. The cavalrymen of Genghis Khan (1162-1227) swept through it in the 13th century. The Yuan emperors had to travel through the ravine every year to their summer resort in Inner Mongolia, staying overnight at Juyong Pass. Entering the Pass, visitors will see an ancient platform known as Cloud Terrace, built in 1345, and made of marble. It was called the Crossing Street Dagoba, since its arch spanned the main street of the pass. There were formerly three dagobas on the top of the terrace. Unfortunately they collapsed along with the nearby imperial residence and other religious buildings during an early 15th century earthquake. Later on, a new temple was built on the site, but it was also destroyed in the early years of the Qing Dynasty (1644-1911). Now only the terrace remains. The terrace is 9.5 meters high, its width is 26.84 meters and the length of the cave is 17.57 meters.
The half octagonal arch gateway is unique and the Cloud Terrace is renowned fits marvelous artistry. The exquisite relief on the facades and sidewalls of the gateway is most impressive. On both sides of the facades are symmetrically carved crossed pestles of the Buddha's warrior attendants. Above the gateway are images of elephants, lions, serpents and other fabulous beasts.
Engraved on the walls under the arch are daturascrolls, images of Buddha and the four celestial guardians. Their vivid expressions are presented with exquisite workmanship. One shows a furious warrior with a snake wound round his arm. Such grandiose relief works, with several stones pieced together, are rarely seen in ancient Chinese carving. They are undoubtedly brilliant representation of the 13th century sculpture.
These four majestic guardians were said to have magic power against evil emperors. When the Ming emperor Zhengde (1506-1521) was passing through the gateway in his sedan chair on a pleasure seeking rour, the horses heading the royal procession were scared by the awe -inspiring images on the wall and refused to move. At last, one of the court officials had to cover up the terrifying images with a smoke screen. In this way the terror struck emperor and his entourage escaped. On the walls of the gateway, there are carvings of Buddhist sutra in Sanskrit, Tibetan, Uygur, New Mongolian, Western Xia and Han scripts. This is the first time to have ever discovered the six different languages carved on the ancient Chinese stones. They are valuable to the study of Buddhism and ancient languages.